Newborn Baby S who was found dead at Suffolk recycling centre is buried by police as new appeal made
A newborn baby found dead at a waste recycling centre during the first national coronavirus lockdown has been buried by police.
The unidentified baby girl, known only as Baby S, was found in Needham Market in Suffolk on 14 May 2020, and despite repeated attempts, officers have been unable to trace her mother or any other family.
She was buried following a service in Ipswich on Thursday, attended by police officers.
Celebrant Patrick Eade said the officers involved in the case had "each played a part in doing the right thing as you tried to fit together the pieces of this tragic jigsaw and ensure that Baby S will be laid to rest in a dignified manner, never forgotten and extend help to those in need".
"It's difficult to imagine what family members of Baby S are experiencing," he added. "A bereaved parent will never move on, but go on. If a message could reach the family of Baby S, I imagine it would be 'please tell me what I can do to help'."
Suffolk Police said the child’s mother may have been in contact with fewer people than normal due to Covid-19 restrictions at the time, but her pregnancy and giving birth “may have been apparent”.
Det Insp Karl Nightingale, said officers had “always kept an open mind of what led to her being placed into a bin”.
“Time has moved on, but we remain unclear about this little girl’s story,” he said.
“After nearly two years people’s lives have changed. Very few may know the truth about this girl’s story.
“Now is the time to come forward and share with us the details of her short life and give this little baby girl her proper name.”
It is believed Baby S was taken to the Sackers waste recycling centre on the day her body was discovered.
She is thought to have been inside one of two bin lorries which picked up commercial waste throughout the day from 52 different locations.
The waste belonged to businesses and not private homes.
Many of these were in and around the Ipswich area, with some collections being made along the general route from Sackers in Needham Market.
During the police inquiry, a dedicated team of officers reviewed more than 11,000 hours of CCTV footage and visited more than 800 addresses.
A comprehensive search was undertaken at the recycling centre, during which a number of items were taken away.
Forensic analysis of the items did not provide any further answers in the search for the baby girl’s parents, police said.
Police have once again appealed for anyone with information to come forward, either by calling 101, using the police portal or calling Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111.